Last night’s warm air allowed me to unzip my sleeping bag and drape it over me like a quilt. On CA 1 at 7 am under overcast sky. Wind from the WSW slowed me a little as did frequent modest ups and downs. Occasional brief spates of mist kept my glasses in my pocket. Road signs showed that the City of Malibu annexed about 10 miles of land on either end of town into the city. This city of 12,846 people extends for 21 miles along the coast. Parts of the Malibu ride featured houses on hillsides east of the highway and well-packed beach houses along the ocean. The ocean disappeared from view for many miles. North of Santa Monica at Temescal Canyon Road, I left the highway for a concrete bike path along wide sandy beaches for about 24 miles. Not many people out in the cool, cloudy weather. A three-mile diversion ran around Marina Del Rey, where I got coffee and a bagel sandwich, then back to the beach bike path. The beach volleyball nets resumed; I must have seen 500 of them. At Redondo Beach, I headed inland on commercial streets through Redondo Beach, Carson, and Long Beach. Serious route finding involved. I rode over the Los Angeles River with minimal water (see photo). To be fair the river did have water nearer to the ocean. I called Helen to ask her to find an affordable motel in Long Beach. No State Park campgrounds with hiker-biker sites for 50 miles. I rented a room at the Long Beach Inn and washed my clothes in the bathtub. I hope they’ll be somewhat dry by morning. 67 miles today.
